One of the most challenging jobs/tasks I ever had was teaching Heat Transfer at North Carolina A&T State University to a group of senior level Mechanical Engineering students, though I was in pursuit of my PhD. What made this task challenging was making sure I broke down the material where the students could understand and eventually pass their tests and exams. Though I was not the full-time professor, the students appreciated my talents as I was able to come down to their level. When the course was said and done, many of them passed the course and were able to graduate from NC A&T with their B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering. If truth were told, someone else came down to our level: Jesus Christ! This point of emphasis is displayed through today's text.
Today's main scripture is found in Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth. Scholars believe that this book is viewed as the Apostle Paul's most biographical book and least doctrinal book. This book shows us more of Paul, the man, the minister, more than any of his twelve other epistles he wrote in the New Testament. Within this eighth chapter, the message relayed was one of encouraging generosity. Today's main scripture not only shows generosity in action, but it provides clarity on how He, being Jesus Christ, came down to yours and mine level.
Paul begins the text with saying, "that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor". As previously stated, the He in this case is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God knew that once Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, sin had entered the world. Because of their sin, sin grew out of control and God knew He had to do something drastic to clean the world of its sin versus killing the world off again! He looked for some volunteers to redeem man. He spoke to Abraham, but he could not do it because he was a liar! He spoke to Jacob, but he could not do it because he was a trickster! He spoke to Moses, but he could not do it because he was disobedient in the clutch! He spoke to Solomon, but he could not do it because he loved women too much! Within the God-head (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), Jesus said that I will go and redeem man! Jesus left His lofty throne, left His riches in Heaven, came into this world, born of a virgin Mary, placed in the manger where there was no room in the inn and became poor for you and for me! Through His being poor, He poured out redemption! He poured out health! He poured out resurrection! He poured out greater love! He poured out compassion! He did this on our level!
The text is concluded when Paul writes, "so that you through His poverty might become rich". I am reminded of a song by Brent Jones and TP Mobb and it's called "Rich". Within this song, Jones emphasizes that the riches we should treasure and desire is Christ. Through Christ's poverty, through Him not having the best of everything, through His work as a carpenter, through His using of donkeys and colts to ride on Palm Sunday, through His suffering on Calvary's cross, through His life period, He has afforded you, and me an opportunity to be rich! He has afforded us the opportunity to be rich in Him, which in turn, will allow us to bless our world, our family, and our friends! Aren't you glad that Jesus came down on your level so that you may be rich? As Christ came down on our level, we ought to come down to the levels of the brokenhearted, the unsaved, and win souls for Christ!
In closing, my PhD experiences taught me a lot about myself. One of those things it taught me was that I can come down from the PhD level and make things plain for a undergraduate senior taking Heat Transfer. In this same light, Christ came from Heaven, left His riches, became poor, gave up His life, that we may be rich on today! He came down and hung with the drunks! He ate with the whores and prostitutes! He hung with those we would not dare hang around on today! If He came down to your level here on Earth, then we ought to compel others and reach them on their level so they too may be rich in Jesus Christ!
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